A
proud village of the Mtein
If you've ever wondered how a Lebanese village might have
looked two or three hundred years ago, try a visit to Mtein
where many old palaces and buildings survive.
Mtein's modern history dates back to the
15th century when people moved here from North Lebanon and the
Houran. At the start of the 16th century, the Al-Lamaayeen
Emirs took up residence in Mtein and built the palaces we see
today. During Ottoman times the village played an influential
role, especially under the Ottoman governors in the 19th
century.
This village of about 6,000 people is proud
of its grand architecture and historic past. In the old days,
it had several silk factories where residents of Mtein and
nearby villages worked. Today, however, thanks to the wealth
of its vineyards, Mtein is a producer of arak.
The residents of the village are working to
protect and restore the palaces and other old buildings around
their main square, and many of the elegantly decorated
doorways have already been restored. Notice the old
enclosed window balcony on the west palace. Although this is
the only one remaining here, enclosed balconies can be seen in
Beiteddine and a few other mountain towns.
The long east palace also once had an
enclosed balcony and if you look carefully you can still see
parts of the wooden structure and the stone supports. The
central roof of this palace was hit by a shell during
Lebanon's war, but it is now being repaired. In fact, the
palace has a story of bad luck: it caught fire on three
occasions between 1840-1860 and has been destroyed and rebuilt
several times. Despite the present damage, you can still
admire the building's two ornate doorways made of yellow and
white stone.
Behind the south palace and down the hill,
you'll find a square stone qubba, with a domed roof. A look
through the window will reveal a typical Druze tomb with head
and foot stones.
The importance of Mtein's heritage has been
recognized by the Lebanese government, who in 1957 issued a
decree placing the historic sites here under its protection
|
|
|